Great Basin National Park Camping Guide

Epic Great Basin National Park Camping Guide, including front country campgrounds, how to make a reservation, what to expect, and more.

Photo of an airstream camper at Wheeler Peak Campground at Great Basin National Park in Baker Nevada

Here are my top finds for Great Basin & Ely Nevada (Closest sizable city):
🏨Hotels: La Quinta Inn & Suites Ely, Hidden Canyon Retreat
📍Tours: 2- Day Private Adventure of Great Basin NP, Lehman Cave Tours , Ride the Star Train!, Great Basin National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour

Great Basin National Park Camping Guide

Camping in Great Basin National Park is a great way to enjoy the epic dark skies in the park. Great Basin NP is a designated International Dark Sky Park! The campgrounds are nicely spread throughout the park, making it easy to pick a campground based on the hiking trails you plan to enjoy or the area you want to explore.

Wheeler Peak Campground is at the highest elevation campground in the National Park System and is next to the Bristlecone Pine Trail and Wheeler Peak Trailhead. This campground is excellent for acclimating to the high elevation before heading out on these hikes to reduce the effects of elevation sickness.

The developed campgrounds are located in the park's main section near Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Check-in at the Great Basin Visitor Center for any information on events in the park. They have excellent night sky interpretive programs offered throughout the year.

Lehman Cave tours are offered with reservations, which are highly recommended. When we did our cave tour, the entire day was booked. The National Park Service runs the campgrounds. The best time to visit Great Basin National Park is summer when most campgrounds are open. While the park is open year-round, the campgrounds are typically open during the summer.

The campsites are more primitive as you will only find vault toilets in the campgrounds. The only flush toilets are at the park's visitor centers. This also means there are no partial or full hookups, wifi, or cellular service.

Personally, this makes a fun and relaxing camping experience and a chance to get away from it all and relax. Say goodbye to the enormous crowds from the big national parks as you get the opportunity to see wildlife in the campground, such as mule deer and turkey.

Great Basin National Park Entrance Fee

Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.

Great Basin National Park does not charge an entrance fee!

Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.

$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

National Park Pass highlighting Collared lizard at Wupatki National Monument

Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the free entrance days the National Park Service offers for US citizens and residents.

Lower Lehman Creek Campground

Location: Located along Wheeler Peak Drive
Number of sites: 20
ADA Sites: The campground has two ADA campsites (Site #1 and #14). The Restroom is ADA-accessible.
Reservations?: Yes, Campsite reservations are available at recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Potable Water is available spring through fall, weather permitting.
GPS Coordinates:
39° 0' 59.2452" N
114° 14' 23.0172" W
RVs allowed?: Yes, There are a limited number of pull-through sites for RVs and trailers.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Click here for more information on Lower Lehman Creek Campground

Upper Lehman Creek Campground

Location: Off of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
Number of sites: 23
ADA Sites: The campground has two ADA campsites (Site #2 and #18) Restrooms are ADA accessible. Reservations? Click here to make a reservation at Upper Lehman Creek Campground. You can reserve up to 30 days in advance.
Reservations?: Yes, Campsite reservations are available at recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Each site offers a picnic table and fire ring, along with potable water and pit toilets nearby
GPS Coordinates: 39° 0' 47.5128" N 114° 14' 55.8600" W
RVs allowed?: RVs and trailers are permitted on Lower Loop. The RV and trailer maximum length on the Upper Loop is 24 feet.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Click here for more information on Lower Lehman Creek Campground

Wheeler Peak Campground

Wheeler Peak Campground is at the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive at 9,886 feet in elevation. It is a great campground if you plan to explore the Ancient Bristlecone Pines trail and Wheeler Peak Trail. You can get acclimated to the elevation before heading out to see the Bristlecone Pine Grove.

Location: Top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
Number of sites: 37
ADA Sites: This campground has three ADA campsites (Site #5, #21, and #33)
Reservations?: Yes, Campsite reservations are available at recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Each site has campfire rings and grills, and there is no potable water, or pit toilets
GPS Coordinates:
39° 0' 39.2760" N
114° 18' 15.8400" W
RVs allowed?: Yes, Maximum length of 24 feet. Neither towing nor towed vehicles exceeding 24 feet in length are accommodated along the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive or at Wheeler Peak Campground.
Generator Hours: Generators may only be used between 8 am and 8 pm.
Click here for more information on Wheeler Peak Campground.

Baker Creek Campground

Location: 2.9 miles down a dirt road from the main road in the park. Baker Creek Campground is open Memorial Day-Labor Day (weather dependent)
Number of sites: 37
ADA Sites: ADA accessible campsite is Site #4, #21, and #28. Restrooms are ADA accessible.
Reservations?: Yes, Campsite reservations are available at recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Water is available spring through fall, weather permitting.
GPS Coordinates:
38° 59' 8.6280"
N 114° 14' 35.9160" W
RVs allowed?: RVs and Trailers allowed on Lower Loop. RVs and Trailers over 24 feet are not allowed on Upper Loop.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Click here for more information on Baker Creek Campground.

Grey Cliffs Campground

Location: Near the Lehman Caves visitor center off of a dirt road
Number of sites: 16
ADA Sites: There are 2 ADA Accessible campsites. On Loop C, site C3 is accessible. As well as A8 on Loop A. Both sites are located next to accessible restrooms.
Reservations?: Yes, Campsite reservations are available at recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Each campsite has quite a bit of space along with picnic tables, outhouses, and barbecue brassieres.
GPS Coordinates:
38° 59' 22.8998"
N 114° 13' 16.7999" W
RVs allowed?: RVs are not permitted due to space constraints.
Generator Hours: n/a
Click here for more information on Grey Cliffs Campground.

Great Basin National Park Guided Tours & Activities

Great Basin National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 5-7 Hours | 🚗🎧 Check Rates and Availability

Powered by Shaka Guide, this GPS-triggered audio tour is the ideal companion for independent visitors exploring one of America's least-visited and most underrated national parks. Narration fires automatically as you reach each stop, covering Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, the Bristlecone Pine Trail, the Baker Archaeological Site, the Alpine Lakes Loop, and more across 14 stops. Priced per group for up to 15 passengers and works fully offline once downloaded, which matters here since cell service inside the park is limited.

Great Basin National Park: 2-Day Private Adventure
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars (38 TripAdvisor reviews)| ⏳ Tour Length: 2 days | 🏔️🦇 Check Rates and Availability

The most thorough Great Basin experience available through Viator, this fully private two-day tour from BeUTAHful Tours departs from Salt Lake City and covers the park's crown jewels across two full days. Day one puts you on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive with time for hiking and dark sky viewing at one of the most certified dark sky parks in the country. Day two goes underground with a guided visit to Lehman Caves, followed by the Baker Archaeological Site, one of the best-preserved ancient Fremont culture sites in the Great Basin. Pickup available throughout the Salt Lake City area.

Click here to find more tours and activities in Nevada.

Snake Creek Campground

Snake Creek Campground is open May-October (Weather dependant)

Location: Along the Snake Creek River, located on the south-eastern side of the park
Number of sites: 12, Sites to choose from include, Monkey Rock, Squirrel Springs, Pinnacles, Eagle Peak. The Shoshone and Johnson Lake trail sites are a short 0.5 mile hike from the parking lot at the end of the Snake Creek Road.
ADA Sites: Monkey Rock, Squirrel Springs, and Trailhead restrooms are ADA accessible.
Cost per night: There are no camping fees
Reservations: All sites are first come first served.
Campground amenities: Tents must be placed within 30 feet of the site's picnic table and/or fire ring.
GPS Coordinates:
38° 55' 31.3716" N
114° 15' 5.4432" W
RVs allowed?: Due to the nature of the road, RVs, trailers, and other large vehicles over 30 feet are not allowed on Snake Creek Road.
Generator Hours: 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m

Where to stay when visiting Great Basin National Park

There are no National Park Lodges in Great Basin NP. There is lodging nearby in Baker, Nevada. The majority of lodging for Great Basin NP can be found in Ely, Nevada about an hour from the park.

⭐️ 4.9 of 5 Stars - Hidden Canyon Retreat - Click here for Rates and Availability.

The premier place to stay near Great Basin National Park, a one-of-a-kind retreat tucked 6.5 miles down a dramatic desert canyon just 30 minutes from the park entrance, rated Exceptional by nearly every guest who stays here!

The 11 apartment-style rooms and suites feature full kitchenettes stocked with cookware, large sitting areas, satellite TVs, private patios, air conditioning, and complimentary bikes for exploring the canyon. After dark, the property turns off all exterior lights at 9:30 PM so guests can experience some of the darkest and most jaw-dropping stargazing skies in the American West. Wild turkey, mule deer, golden eagles, and cutthroat trout call the canyon home year-round, and two orchards dating to the 1850s shade the property. A seasonal outdoor pool, hot tub, game room with ping pong and foosball, BBQ grills, picnic area, on-site minimart, and complimentary welcome drink round out the experience. Note that cell service and WiFi are very limited, making this the perfect place to truly unplug. Open year-round!

⭐️ 4.3 of 5 Stars - La Quinta Inn and Suites, Ely - Click here for Rates and Availability.

The cleanest, most comfortable full-service hotel in Ely and a refreshing smoke-free haven in a state full of casino smoke, sitting just 70 miles from Great Basin National Park on the Loneliest Road in America!

Start each morning with a free hot Bright Side Breakfast featuring fresh waffles, eggs, sausage, fruit, and more, and wind down each evening at the nightly free manager's reception in the lobby next to a cozy indoor fireplace. All 73 rooms and suites feature microwaves, mini-fridges, pillowtop beds, flat-screen TVs with premium channels, and free WiFi, with mountain views from select rooms. Additional amenities include a heated indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, 24-hour business center, coin laundry, free parking, elevator, and ADA accessible rooms. Pet friendly with no pet fee, open year-round!

Click on this link or the map below to see additional hotels and vacation rentals near the Great Basin.

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